Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

Prohibits use of firearms and firearms-related items as raffle prizes.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning the use of firearms and firearms-related items as raffle prizes and supplementing the "Raffles Licensing Law," P.L.1954, c.5 (C.5:8-50 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. It shall be unlawful to offer any firearm or firearm-related item as a prize in any raffle. As used in this section, "firearm" shall have the same meaning as that term is defined under N.J.S.2C:39-1, and "firearm-related item" means any item or paraphernalia used in connection with the firing, alteration, display, storage, maintenance, and use of a firearm.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill prohibits the offering of any firearm or firearm-related item as a prize in any raffle.

Under the bill, "firearm" has the same meaning as that term is defined under N.J.S.2C:39-1: "any handgun, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, automatic or semi-automatic rifle, or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or ejected any solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or bullet, or any gas, vapor or other noxious thing, by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances." This term also includes, without limitation, "any firearm which is in the nature of an air gun, spring gun or pistol or other weapon of a similar nature in which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, compressed or other gas or vapor, air or compressed air, or is ignited by compressed air, and ejecting a bullet or missile smaller than three-eighths of an inch in diameter, with sufficient force to injure a person."

The bill defines a "firearm-related item" as any item or paraphernalia used in connection with the firing, alteration, display, storage, maintenance, and use of a firearm.